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In 2014, the United States experienced a surge of migrants from Central and South America appearing seemingly en masse at its southern border. Many were deported upon encountering Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), but many were able to assert a claim of credible fear—they stated their intent to apply for asylum in the United States.

Due to the immigration backlog in U.S. courts, many of these cases are just now coming up for review. However, a large portion of the asylum seekers have not appeared, and have been ordered removed in absentia.

While it may seem smart to not appear in court lest you be arrested, it is absolutely not the right choice to make. Failing to appear can actually make matters even worse for you.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act has been proposed in Congress several times before 2017, with the most recent being 2011 (though in 2012 President Obama directed his administration to use the criteria contained in the DREAM Act in determining whether or not to deport young undocumented people). On July 20, 2017, it was introduced again, by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin, in a bipartisan initiative, and in a slightly different format than previously proposed.

The Bill

Graham and Durbin, both members of the “Gang of 8” that authored a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013 yet never made it out of committee, have made it clear that they believe the best way forward is to explore extending Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status to Dreamers (the young people who would be affected by the passage of such a law).

Not content with arresting nearly 40 percent more immigrants on average since the new administration took office, in July 2017 the Department of Homeland Security and the White House began to investigate the possibility of expanding expedited removals, which would significantly alter the immigration landscape in the United States for a multitude of reasons.

The move would not be without controversy at a political level, but immigrant rights groups are incensed at what they argue would be a near-unlimited authority to arrest anyone without status, regardless of potential extenuating circumstances.

If you are undocumented, being conversant with the nitty-gritty details of the law may at least make your next steps more clear.

Ever since 2014’s spike in violence in Central America that led to increased immigration of unaccompanied minors into the United States, U.S. immigration authorities have been at somewhat of a loss in how to appropriately handle the status and the overall needs of these children.

The previous administration created what was colloquially called the “rocket docket,” where unaccompanied minors with sponsors in the U.S. could be processed quickly. However, the current administration rescinded this directive, and may even seek to rescind some previously available protections, which would cause confusion and untold harm to children in this situation.

According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is still open and accepting applications. However, as the site continues, it may be ‘terminated at any time.’ The status of the DACA program has wavered multiple times in recent months, due to pressure from the White House and various interest groups.

In June 2017, a group of Republican attorneys general added their voice to the discussion, trying to force the administration to rescind permissions that allowed DACA to go forward. This leads to significant confusion and alarm for those with DACA status.

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